My Thorn And My Rose
by Katniss Hawthorne 7994
Summary: Katniss volunteers for Prim. But what happens when Gale tries to volunteer for Peeta, but Peeta doesn't let him? What happens if 3 tributes from district 12 are put in the arena? What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

The thin branches of the dead winter trees whipped slowly in the bitter wind of this cold winters morning. I lay motionless on a bed of dead leaves, listening, listening for any sign of life. All I heard was the whistling of the wind, I could tell todays hunt would be unsuccessful. I'd been lying in the same spot for the past hour. Noiselessly I checked my watch; 10:15. Gale should have been here over two hours ago. It was unlike him to be late, especially as late as this. My worry began to set in, the conditions were horrific. What had happened? Had something happened to Rory or Vick? Or even Posy? I'd nearly given up and decided to head back when I heard a small snap. I shot up and looked around, I couldn't see anything…maybe it was a rabbit? Or maybe even Gale.  
"Gale?" I called quietly, barely raising my voice above a whisper. What if it was a peacekeeper? It was reaping day and District 12 was crawling with them. If I was found out here I would be punished severely.  
"YOU! STAND UP!" A voice boomed, shit it was a peacekeeper! Thoughtlessly I raised my bow and aimed for the direction of the voice, I was about to release the arrow when Gale burst through into the clearing laughing so hard he could barely stand or breath.  
"Gale!" I shrieked. "What the hell were you doing? I nearly shot you!" Did he not realise I could have killed him.  
"Calm down Catnip. What were you going to do anyway? Shoot a peacekeeper? I'd love to see how that could help your cause." He chuckled, but he was right. Shooting a peacekeeper would have gotten me executed.  
"I wasn't thinking it was instinct." I grumbled.  
"Don't get me wrong Catnip; I would have loved to see you shoot a peacekeeper. Especially today, what an amazing way to say fuck you to the Capitol." Gale's eyes glazed over the way they always do when he talks like this about the Capitol.  
"Gale…" I sighed; truthfully I was just glad he was saying it to me, and here in the heart of our woods where we were safe from the prying ears of the Capitol and their peacekeepers. He smirked at me in reply.  
"Shh Catnip I'm just kidding." I could tell he didn't want me to worry but I knew him better than that. I knew he believed what he had said and that he honestly wishes it were true.

"Where were you anyway, I was beginning to get worried." I sat myself on the rock next to Gale. My leg brushed his and our arms were touching. I felt my heart rate increase, something only hunting could do, well until recently anyway.  
"Mom. She wanted to spend some extra time with me." I looked away, unable to meet his gaze.  
"How many?" I asked. He knew what I meant without me saying.  
"42." He stated simply. His voice void of all emotion. I could barely bring myself to look at him. The odds were most definitely not in his favour.  
"Cheer up Catnip this is my last year! After this I am safe and all I have to do then is worry about keeping you safe!" Gale tried to sound positive but there was a slight uncertainty in his voice. That's only if he didn't get picked, and there was a huge possibility that he would. His voice broke the silence.  
"How many for you?" There was something strange in his voice, a darker tone, anger? Maybe.  
"20." I still had more than most people but I also had half of what Gale had. This obviously wasn't good enough for Gale though, because the next thing I knew he was up on his feet and punching a tree.  
"Damn them Katniss this isn't God damned fair!" He was fuming; he was even beginning to scare me. After pacing for a few more minutes he eventually calmed down and turned to me. "We could do it you know?" I looked at him in bewilderment.  
"Do what?"  
"Take off, live in the woods." I stared at him in disbelief. That was a stupid idea! Was he being serious? It was Gale, of course he was.  
"We wouldn't make it five miles." The idea was preposterous.  
"Oh I'd make it five miles, I'd go that way." He pointed off into the distance, towards the forest where all you can see is a green canvas of trees for as far as the eye can see.  
"What about the kids? Rory? Vick? Posy? And even Prim?" We couldn't drag them with us, and we couldn't leave them here either, they would punish them.  
"They could come with us!" Gale seemed adamant that this was a good idea and that it could work.  
"Can you imagine Prim in the woods?" I couldn't help but laugh, the one time I had tried to take her hunting had ended in disaster. I shot a rabbit and she ended up crying for an hour begging me to take it home to mother to save.  
"Yeah, maybe not." He smiled sadly to himself.  
"I'm never going to have kids." I stated.  
"I might, if I didn't live here." He seems off in some distant land, a small smile playing on the corners of his lips, he looked so content that I nearly didn't want to say anything to him but that wasn't me.  
"But you do live here. So will any kids you have, and do you really want to subject them to the reaping?" All traces of happiness were removed from his face.  
"Whatever Katniss. We better be getting back, it's nearly time for reaping." With that he stood and began to walk away.

I caught up quickly. I felt guilty for what I had said hurt him, but at the same time it was true and I couldn't ever let him go through the pain of losing a child. I don't think he could ever go through the pain of losing a child. We walked in silence back to District 12. We had reached the fence before either of us said a word and it was Gale to break the silence.  
"Dress nice Katniss, see you in a few." He didn't look at me before jogging in the direction of his house. I dawdled on the way back to my house. I knew my mother would make a fuss as it was reaping day but I couldn't deal with it.

When I finally arrived home Prim was already dressed in her reaping clothes, I remember that they were my first reaping clothes also. They hung loosely on Prims small frame and I noticed a tail sticking out of the back of her skirt where the shirt had come un-tucked.  
"Tuck your tail in, little duck." I said soothingly. Prims eyes were full of fear and I knew she was worried about her first reaping. "Prim, your name is in there once, they won't pick you." I look her dead in the eye, not a doubt in my mind. This seems to calm her for a while.  
"There is some water in the tub…I thought you might like to clean up." My mother distracts me from my moment with Prim. I look at her unsure of what to say. My relationship with my mom was rocky to say the least. All respect I had for her was lost after my father died and she left us to fend for ourselves.  
"Okay." I said simply before finding my way to the tub. I scrubbed all the dirt from the woods away, leaving me cleaner than I had been in a long time. Soap was a rarity in the Seam and so was normally saved for special occasions. Unfortunately, the reaping falls into that category. I finally managed to scrub most of the dirt from my skin and walk to the bedroom to find a pale blue dress lay neatly on my bed. It was one of my mother's from her apothecary days. I smiled sadly to myself, I knew how much this meant to her and I could tell she was trying to reach out to me. To apologise for leaving me, but I wasn't Prim and I couldn't forgive her so easily. I pulled the dress over my head and made my way down to the living room where Prim and my mother were waiting.  
"You look beautiful." I can see a tear glistening in her eye and Prim stared at me her jaw dropping slightly.  
"I wish I was as pretty as you." She says after a moment.  
"Oh not little duck, I wish I looked like you!" I smile and crouch down to stroke her hair.  
"Katniss let me put your hair up." My mother suggests and I agree reluctantly. By the time she had finished the bell had sounded letting us know it was time to leave for the town square. Prim gripped my hand tightly. I gave her a gentle squeeze back. All I wanted to do was protect her but this was the one thing I couldn't protect her from. I could make sure she always had a roof over her head and food to eat, but I couldn't take her name out of that bowl.

When we arrive Prim tries to hold onto my hand and refuses to let go.  
"Prim listen to me. I'm going to be right over there. You go stand with your friends and I will find you when it is over. I promise." Prim nodded silently, allowing herself to be checked in and then wandered off to find her friends. I found my way to the group of girls my age, most of whom I knew from school, but I didn't really have friends. Only possibly Madge. She and I had a mutual thing, we worked together at school and sat together at lunch, never really speaking much but it meant we weren't alone. I'm not sure we could be counted as friends though. I looked around in search of Gale, he was taller than most boys and towered over the crowd surrounding him. It didn't take me long to find him , he gives me an apologetic look and mouths "You okay?" I simply nod in return. I try to search for Prim but I cannot find her in the crowds.

Soon enough the anthem starts playing and Effie Trinket takes the stage. She is dressed in bright pinks, her face painted white and her hair also matching her pink outfit. She reminds me of a clown and I can't help but laugh.  
"Welcome, welcome! How lovely it is to be here!" She smiles, but everyone knows it is fake. She doesn't want to be here. She wants to be in one of the better districts, one of the districts where there are actually winners. Our district has only had two winners in the seventy four years the hunger games have been running. One of them is dead, and the other is a drunkard. I've met him several times at the Hob. He is here today, sat on a chair next to Mayor Undersee, Madge's father, he can barely stay on his seat. She begins to play the same video that is played every year. It depicts how the hunger games came to be, about the uprising and the demise of district 13. It then goes on to say how much of an honour it is to be a tribute in the hunger games. Towards the end I look over to Gale, who has his gaze fixated on me. He smirks and mouths along to the video "War, terrible war!" I can't help but giggle a little, and as much as I try to hide it the people around me hear. A faint blush rises to my cheeks and I drop my head in shame. The video ends and Effie begins to speak.  
"And now time to pick the tributes, ladies first as usual. Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be _ever_ in your favour!" She walks over to the large glass ball, filled with hundreds, maybe even thousands of slips. Twenty of which have my name written on them. I draw in a deep breath, holding it in until the name is drawn, praying and hoping it isn't me. Effie makes her way back over to the microphone, where she carefully unfolds the slip and reads out the name.

And it isn't me.

It's Primrose Everdeen.


	2. Chapter 2

I felt the air leave my lungs. No. No this isn't right! I'd done everything I could for her! Her name was in there once! How could she be picked? I couldn't focus. This couldn't be right her name was only in there once! I felt my blood boil over in anger. How could this be happening? I had done everything possible to protect her from this. I wouldn't allow her to put her name in extra times. Her name was only in there once! They should have picked me!

It was in that moment that I saw her, her shirt was un-tucked, and I just knew what I had to do. I began to sprint forward, the others clearing the way for me.  
"PRIM!" I shouted and she turned to face me. Her face had drained of all colour, her eyes blotchy and red from the tears that seemed to be streaming endlessly down her face. If it were possible, my heart broke again in that moment. The peacekeepers tried to block my path and hold me back, but I continued to push frantically against them.  
"I volunteer! I volunteer!" I screamed, my voice breaking several time. Their arms immediately dropped to their sides in shock.  
"I volunteer as tribute." I managed to calm my voice and gain my composure. I couldn't show weakness.  
"NO!" Prim screamed as she wrapped her small arms around my frame.  
"Prim go find mom." My voice broke again as I struggles to meet Prims eyes and hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. I tried to pry Prims arms from around my waist, but no matter how hard I tried to pull her off of me she refused to let go. The next thing I knew, two strong arms had wrapped around her, pulling her from me. I looked up to be met with Gales gaze.  
"Up you go Catnip." His voice fighting to keep steady, and yet again there was a darkened tone to his voice and his eyes blackened in anger and determination. Then he carried the crying Prim off in the direction of my mother.

I steady myself to climb the steps to the eagerly awaiting Effie Trinket. Her overbearingly bright and happy faced stared down at me expectantly.  
"Well come on my dear!" She reached down to grab my hand, pulling me up the remaining steps to her side. "What's your name then?" She asked brightly, clearly glad for something interesting to be happening. Maybe next year she'll get a promotion.  
"Katniss Everdeen." I manage to say, though my voice is barely above a whisper.  
"I'll bet my buttons that, that was your sister." I didn't answer, though she waits for me to say something. "Okay, well let's give a round of applause for this year's District 12 female tribute, Katniss Everdeen!" No one claps, not a single person. Not even the men taking the bet, or the people who no longer care. After a moment of silence I look to Gale to see him press three fingers to his lips and raise them to the air. Everyone followed suit. Soon everyone had their hands in the air.

I looked to Effie to see her looking slightly flustered, a slight blush evident under her white makeup. She coughed lightly to draw the attention back to herself.  
"And now to the male tribute." She moved slowly over to the second glass ball, and all I can do it wait in baited breath. Praying and hoping she doesn't pick one of those 42 slips.  
"Peeta Mellark!" It's not Gale, no. Instead it is the boy with the bread. The boy I owe my life to. I don't like owing people things. Before he can even make a step towards the stage though a voice breaks the silence.  
"I volunteer!" No. He wouldn't. We had a deal. He promised me. Who would look after Prim now? What about his family? I wasn't there to protect them, so who would? Gale was making his way to the stage when another voice interrupted. This time it was Peeta.  
"No. No you can't volunteer. I won't let you." What the hell was going on? Peeta had a look of pure determination on his face as he made his way to the stage, Gale following not far behind. Effie looked utterly confused, as did we all.  
"Uhh…would Mr. Mellark and Mr. Hawthorne like to join us on stage?" It seemed Mayor Undersee had taken control of the situation. Both Peeta and Gale began ascending the steps, exchanging looks of distaste.

Mayor Undersee and Effie began talking to each other in hushed tones, both seemed unsure of what to do. District 12 wasn't used to one volunteer let alone three. The rules were a little rusty. I tried to avoid looking into the crowd because they were all giving me the same look. Pity. How could I deal if my hunting partner and best friend was the one in the arena with me? Would I be able to kill him? Never. My life without Gale wouldn't be worth living, so killing him would defeat the object. No, I would prefer to die. Prefer he kill me.  
"Well it seems we have a bit of a predicament. Please bear with us as we try and figure what is going to happen out." Mayor Undersee announces before swiftly leaving the stage with Effie. I take this time to rush over to Gale and Peeta.

"Gale what are you thinking! You can't do this! You promised me! What about our families? Who will fend for them?" I felt anger rise in me that I didn't know I could possess.  
"Katniss please calm down. Do you not think I haven't thought of this? Of course I have. I've had this plan since the day we made our deal. Please just trust me." I stood shocked. Had Gale lied to me? Gone behind my back?  
"Of course you have." I sighed. We were partners, friends. Of course I trusted him. He was the only person I did trust. "Gale, please though, I am begging you back out. It's not too late."  
"Yes it is." Was all he said. I was confused, how was it too late? Peeta still wasn't letting him take his place. It wasn't too late.  
"She's right Gale. You should back out." Peeta spoke for the first time. I was still confused as to why he was refusing to let Gale volunteer for him. Surely he didn't want to join the Games? Who would?  
"Shut it Baker Boy." Gale snarled.  
"I'll protect her Gale." I stared slacked jawed at Peeta. Why would he do that? Why would a boy I barely know do this?  
"You think you can protect her? You make bread, you have no idea what it is like out there! You can't hunt and you can't fight! You think I am going to leave you to protect her?" He was practically laughing, and it was scaring me. Gale was scaring me.  
"Gale! I don't need protecting! I can fend for myself. I'm not Prim." I wanted to scream at him. He was being stupid. I was as good, if not better, a hunter than he.  
"Katniss this isn't up for debate." I could tell that was going to be his final word no matter how much I argued, so I didn't. Hopefully Mayor Undersee would find some way to keep Gale out of the games and safe. I felt awful for thinking this. Poor Peeta, surely he deserved as much concern as Gale? He had saved my life before. I could never stop owing him for that. And now he was refusing to let Gale take his place, I could never repay him.

Mayor Undersee soon returned followed by Effie. His complexion had paled and I knew it must not be good news. He looked at me with deeply apologetic eyes and I knew in that moment that Gale would be entering the games with me, but I did not expect what I was about to hear.  
"Citizens of District 12 it appears that the Gamekeeper has made an amendment to the rules for our predicament. Instead of one male tribute, this year there shall be two. Please welcome our tributes from District 12. Katniss Everdeen, Gale Hawthorne and Peeta Mellark."

I couldn't have prepared for this in anyway. I felt my world began to slip from beneath my feet as I realised there would be no way I was coming home. This would be the last time I saw my family. Then the world went black.

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**Hey so here is chapter two :) I hope you like it ummm if there are any mistakes please feel free to point them out :) Any help would be grateful :) **

** Please let me know what you think and what you think is going to happen :) I love to hear what people think :P I hope you enjoy any questions or qualms please let me know :P**

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